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Jussie Smollett calls himself ‘the gay Tupac’ in first public appearance since attack

The actor urged the crowd to ‘be blacker, be gayer’

Published

7 years ago

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Jussie Smollett (Screenshot via Twitter.)

“Empire” star Jussie Smollett made his first public appearance on Saturday night following a reported homophobic and racist assault in Chicago on Jan. 29.

Smollett performed at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, Calif., a concert that had been scheduled prior to his attack. His siblings prefaced his performance with a message of support for their brother.

“If I’m honest, as his big brother, I wanted Jussie to sit this one out,” his brother Joel Smollett Jr. told the crowd. “I sincerely wanted him to stay out of the public until he heals. Then, after much debating, some arguing and many tears, my family and I realized that tonight is an important part of Jussie’s healing.”

Smollett appeared on stage saying that, “I had to be here tonight. I couldn’t let those motherfuckers win.”

On Jan. 29, it was reported that Smollett was walking from a sandwich shop at 2 a.m. in Chicago when two men in ski masks approached him. They yelled homophobic and racist slurs at him, beat him, put his neck in a noose and poured a bleach-like chemical substance on him. Police are currently investigating the attack as a “possible hate crime.”

During the performance, Smollett took the time to clarify details of his alleged assault.

“Just because there’s been a lot of stuff said about me that’s absolutely not true. There’s just a couple of points I want to make really quick,” Smollett told the crowd.”I was bruised but my ribs were not cracked. They were not broken. I went to the doctor immediately. I was not hospitalized. Both my doctors in LA and in Chicago cleared me to perform, but said to take care obviously.”

“And above all, I fought the fuck back,” Smollett concluded. After receiving a huge cheer from the crowd, Smolett joked “I’m the gay Tupac.”

Smollett canceled his meet-and-greet at the show for security reasons. Attendees with meet-and-greet tickets were offered refunds or the money could be donated to the Black AIDS Institute.

He closed out the show by imploring the crowd to “Be as black, be as brown, be as gay as the fuck you want to be. Now is the time. Be blacker, be gayer, do it right the fuck now.”

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Sports

Jason Collins dies at 47

First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer

Published

19 hours ago

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May 12, 2026

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Jason Collins (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.

The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.

Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.

Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.

Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.

The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.

“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar.  We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”  

“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”

“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”

“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”

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Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

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'Studio 69' was held at Bunker on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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Arts & Entertainment

Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week

Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

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The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.

Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.

“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”

Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip. 

Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.

Event Details:

📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026 

⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP

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